I entered the Donny Wh 2/3/4 cat RR along with Nick B and Muzzy. I don't think any of us were overly inspired even when we entered the event - 22 laps x 1.8 mile circuit - but there was nothing else on. We got there to find a triangular course with 3 x 120° wet, gritty and narrow corners and a small hill up to the start/finish line. It was raining at the start and the finish - I think it rained the whole event but it was hard to tell. There was a large field and we queued up to get around each corner followed by a sprint to close up the concertina. 22 laps x 3 corners = 66 sprints, plus three primes, plus the finish = 70 sprints. OK, if you could stay near the front the each "sprint" was in fact a modest acceleration. The problem was of course that everyone else knew this and as fast as you battled to the front you were washed backwards again. If you were languishing at the back, as I was for much of the time, then it was pretty much a full on effort out of each bend.Well looks like Nigel from the bike shop was leading since no one else really turned up apart from me and arthur M for the full ride, MarkA (I think) turned up for a little while and some other guy, cant remember his name, not good with names, turned up but heading back just before sutton on the forest for some reason.
Went all the way to the sea front in scarborough, had fish and chips at that fish pan, then went around scarborough and up to dolby forest in the end, did like part of the run I did on my first sunday club run, was much easier this time, went all through malton, pickering and some other places, plenty of hills, was a good ride.
New PB in terms of distance for me @ 133.2 miles and averaging 16.3mph which was okish. So was a mix of first club run, new stuff and abit of ron kit.
The corners of course disrupted any team work and there was only one break of any consequence which went away at about 1/3 distance and dangled at 20s for about 3 laps. Muzzy had a go just after half distance but failed to produce any daylight - but at least he saw the front which is more than me and Nick managed all race. My race plan was - if I could see a way through at any point in the last three laps then I was going to just "go for it" - I really didn't relish the prospect of a big bunch coming into the finish in those conditions. In practice there was no way through and each time I managed to instill some kenetic energy into my lumbering hulk then the door was shut in front of me; there was even a bit of cyclocross at one point......
Somehow at the sharp end of the race the bunch negotiated the run in and lined up for the finish dash at well over 50kph. I'd got myself into the front third, felt pretty fresh and although boxed-in fully expected the gaps to open as things were developing into a long sprint. There was a touch of wheels, or something, a few riders in front and a near emergency stop had me going sideways, briefly. All stayed upright and the bunch surged again. My momentum was gone though and I crossed the line well back. Muzzy too was out of contention, but in front of me. Nick managed to get into the top 15. He's not been out of the points yet this season and is going well.
So, in summary - a somewhat frustrating race, but probably better training than 2 hours solo in the Wolds....
